Huskies' Nathan Green sets school record in 1500m to advance to finals at Olympic Trials...
EUGENE--Washington's Nathan Green (Paul Merca photo) broke the school record, while NCAA 1500 champ Joe Waskom advanced to Monday's finals in the men's 1500 to highlight day two of the US Olympic Trials at Hayward Field.
In the first of two semifinals, Waskom was in a tight group with among others, training partners Sam Prakel and Luke Houser, as the trio went through 800 meters just a bit over two minutes.
As they hit the bell, Houser, the NCAA mile champ who just this week signed with the Seattle based Brooks Beasts, jumped to the front in an attempt to steal the race.
However as they came off the turn, former Oregon standout Cole Hocker worked his way to the front to win the heat in 3:37.89, with Waskom finishing in fifth for the last automatic spot into Monday night's final at 3:38.29, while Prakel was sixth in 3:38.50, and Houser seventh at 3:39.06.
Prakel and Houser had to wait until the conclusion of the second heat to know their status for Monday's final.
The second heat went significantly faster, as the leaders went through 800 meters in a shade over 1:56, with Notre Dame alum Yared Nuguse controlling the front, and Henry Wynne of the Brooks Beasts in striking distance along with Green.
On the penultimate straightaway, Green worked his way into fifth, tucking in a stride behind Wynne, with Oregon's Elliott Cook on the inside.
Coming off the turn, Green went to the outside, with Wynne maintaining his stride advantage over Green to finish third in a season best 3:34.40, as Nuguse won, tying the meet record of 3:34.09.
Green was fourth in 3:34.49, a new Washington school record, breaking the old record set by Waskom of 3:34.64 last year in Italy.
Waleed Suliman of the Beasts finished eighth in a personal best 3:35.72, one spot out of a time qualifier to Monday's final at 5:47 pm.
Courtesy of NBC Sports, here's video of the second heat of the mens 1500m semifinals (may be geoblocked outside the USA):
On the field, Emerald Ridge's JaiCieonna Gero-Holt advanced to Monday's final in the high jump, only needing two jumps to qualify.
Gero-Holt cleared 5-10 (1.78m) on her first attempt, then promptly cleared 6-0 (1.83m) on her first attempt, as ten jumpers cleared 6-0.
The women's high jump finals will be run on Monday at 5:15 pm.
Washington's Prestin Artis finished 16th in the qualifying round of the men's long jump, with a best of 25-3.5 (7.71m), nine centimeters short of making the finals.
Washington State's Lee Walburn didn't finish the decathlon after apparently injuring himself in the pole vault.
Entering the pole vault, he was in tenth with 5721 points after running 15.05 in the 110H, then threw the discus 152-10 (46.59m).
In the pole vault, he cleared 15-7 (4.75m). When the bar was raised to what would have been a personal best of 15-11 (4.85m), he missed, then retired from the competition, not starting the javelin or the 1500.
Michigan State's Heath Baldwin won the event with a final score of 8625 points.
In other finals contested, Jasmine Moore won the women's triple jump at 46-9.5 (14.26m); Ryan Crouser defended his Olympic Trials title, winning with a best of 74-11.25 (22.84m); and Sha'Carri Richardson won the women's 100 in 10.71.
Sunday, Nia Akins and Valery Tobias of the Brooks Beasts will run in the semifinals of the women's 800 at 6:11 pm, while a pair of Walla Walla natives, Dash Sirmon of the University of Nebraska, goes in the finals of the men's javelin at 6:40 pm. and defending national champion Kenneth Rooks runs in the finals of the 3000 steeplechase at 7:07 pm.
The link to heat sheets and live results is available here at https://results.usatf.org/2024trials/
In Madrid, Washington alum Carley Thomas, who is racing to get the Olympic standard, finished sixth in the 800 in the B section of the Meeting Madrid, a World Athletics Continental Tour-Silver event on Friday at Estadio Vallehermoso.
Thomas ran 2:03.73.
The Olympic standard in the women's 800 is 1:59.30.
NOTE: UW Athletics, World Athletics and USA Track & Field contributed to this report.
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